With Or Without You
by Sarmoti
Summary: He had no idea why he wanted to help her. All he knew was that the only thing he wanted at that moment in his life was to sit next to a soaking wet, crying, and beautiful Piper Halliwell and fix whatever was breaking her heart. Cole/Piper
1. She's My Kind Of Rain

Setting: Season 4, Cole's not evil and Piper and Leo are married. Got it? Good!

**Chapter 1 – She's My Kind of Rain**

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_She's my kind of rain __  
__Like love in a drunken sky __  
__She's confetti falling __  
__Down all night ___

_She sits quietly there __  
__Like water in a jar __  
__Says, Baby why are you __  
__Trembling like you are_

She's My Kind of Rain by Tim McGraw

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"Please don't do this to me, not now," Cole whispered, the rain splashing down over his face and running down on her lifeless body, cradled tightly in his arms. "Don't punish me again, I can't live without her," he choked out, his own tears mixing with the rain.

Cole looked down at those brown eyes, the same ones he had started into a million times before, only this time they were empty, lacking the passion, the laughter and the anger they normally showed.

"Damn it, do something!" he cried out to nobody. There was nobody that could do anything. He was a demon, Leo would never hear his cry and both of her sisters were unaware of the danger their oldest sister had been in.

"Please, don't leave me, hold on damn it, I need you," he whispered in her unhearing ear, stroking her brown hair gently and remembering exactly when it was he fell in love with her.

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"Piper, is that you?" Cole said, stepping out in the back yard, his coat held up over his head to deflect the rain.

"Of course it is," she snapped out, trying to wipe the wetness out of her eyes with her hands, hoping the tears she had been shedding were hidden among the many raindrops that had fallen.

"It's raining you know," Cole said, reaching his girlfriend's older sister and trying to cover her up with his coat, letting himself get soaked in the process.

"Isn't Phoebe home?" Piper asked, not meeting his gaze.

"She's at work, are you going to come inside or stay out here and get soaked?" Cole said, smirking at her and trying not to notice that the white tank top she was wearing was soaked clear through.

"I'm fine Cole. I just want to be alone," Piper said, sighing softly.

Cole looked up at her face for the first time, and was surprised to see the tears in her eyes and the puffiness on her face. It was rare that Piper Halliwell would cry, and Cole put his hand on her shoulder without thinking the movement through. Her white tank to had been forgotten. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing. Why would something be wrong?" Piper asked, her voice tight and controlled even has her body shook beneath his hand.

"Piper, what is it?" Cole asked again, concern clear in his voice.

Piper looked up at his face and blinked. He felt her body crumple and he barely got his arms out before she had fallen against him, her tears coming back fast and hot as she clung to his now-soaked shirt with both hands.

Cole looked down at the woman in his arms with a feeling of helplessness. He had no idea what to do. He didn't know what was wrong with the witch or where her sisters and husband were. He gently wrapped his arms tighter around her body and was surprised to find his hand had made it's way up to her soft hair on it's own.

He stood there for what felt like an hour holding her, stroking her hair with one hand and patting her back with the other. An occasional "It's okay" and "ssshhhh now" would escape his mouth.

Finally Piper pulled away from him slightly, leaving her hands on his lower arms for support. She sniffed and looked up at his face slowly. "I'm sorry Cole," she whispered.

"What happened Piper?" he asked, leading her over to the bench under the kitchen window and sitting her down.

She busied herself with wiping her face off and pushing her soaking hair out of her face. She wouldn't meet his eyes as she spoke. "It's Leo. I don't know what to do. I am scared. I can't talk to him, I don't want to hear what he has to say," she admitted.

"What about Leo?" Cole asked, his hands were balled up in fists against his legs, but he didn't notice.

Piper stood up suddenly. "Never mind Cole. I don't know why I am telling you this. It's nothing, okay? I'm sorry about earlier, it won't happen again."

Cole reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from walking away. "What is going on? I want to help. I am practically family."

Piper looked down at his hand on her wrist, she slowly closed her eyes and her tongue came out to lick the rainwater from her upper lip.

Cole gently tugged her back down onto the bench beside him. He had no idea why he wanted to help her. All he knew was that the only thing he wanted at that moment in his life was to sit next to a soaking wet, crying and beautiful Piper Halliwell and fix whatever was breaking her heart any way he knew how.


	2. Inside Out

Setting: Season 4, Cole's not evil and Piper and Leo are married. Got it? Good!

Note: Sorry it took so long for an update – I lost my interest in Charmed for awhile, but I recently bought seasons 1-4 on DVD and have renewed my love for Charmed and for Cole/Piper!

So here we go……

**Chapter 2 – Inside Out **

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_Unsew my seams  
Look inside if you dare  
Do you still like what you're seeing now_

Secrets and sins  
All exposed spilling out  
Am I still safe here on this fragile ground

Inside out before you now  
Bare these bones and lay me down  
This suicide feels so alive  
Will you take me  
As I am  
Inside out

Inside Out by Emmy Rossum

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Cole felt the presence behind him before he saw it. "No," he stated, holding her body tighter to his. "No damn it."

"It's her time," the Angel of Death said, stepping up beside them.

Cole looked up. "Please, take me then. Take me. Not her. She's good, she's a Charmed One, the world won't be safe without her and you know it."

"That's not the way it works Demon," the Angel of Death replied, looking down at Piper with what could be regret in his eyes.

Cole cradled Piper to his body, refusing to let go. "Please. Damn you, don't do this. You know she's good. You know what she has done, what she can do. She's even helped you before. Spare her, I beg you."

Cole looked down at Piper once more, watching the rain water splash on her face and remembering holding her for the first time, her body just as wet as it was now.

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What happened Piper?" he asked, leading her over to the bench under the kitchen window and sitting her down.



She busied herself with wiping her face off and pushing her soaking hair out of her face. She wouldn't meet his eyes as she spoke. "It's Leo. I don't know what to do. I am scared. I can't talk to him, I don't want to hear what he has to say," she admitted.

"What about Leo?" Cole asked, his hands were balled up in fists against his legs, but he didn't notice.

Piper stood up suddenly. "Never mind Cole. I don't know why I am telling you this. It's nothing, okay? I'm sorry about earlier, it won't happen again."

Cole reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from walking away. "What is going on? I want to help. I am practically family."

"There is nothing _you _could do to help," Piper replied, her voice almost accusatory.

"Should I go get Phoebe? Or Paige?" Cole asked her.

"No. It's nothing, okay?" she snapped out, leaning her head down into her hands.

"You just spent ten minutes crying on my shoulder Piper, I would say that is something since you normally don't let me within ten feet of you," Cole replied, a bitter tone in his voice.

Piper jumped up from the bench, stalking through the yard quickly. "Just leave me alone, okay Cole? Forget I was crying, everything is fine."

"Damn it Piper, everything is not fine. What in the hell is going on with you?" Cole thundered, jumping up from the bench in frustration.

"Why do you even care Cole? It's none of your business," she said, spinning around to face him.

"You made it my business when you fell apart in my arms," Cole replied, gesturing towards the yard.

Piper's face turned a slight shade of red and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't fall apart in your arms, I just…."

"Just what Piper?" Cole replied, noticing her falter.

"I…." she sighed, throwing her hands up. "Look, it doesn't matter, just forget about it and leave me alone, okay?"

"Has he hurt you Piper?" Cole asked, stepping towards her. "Did he hit you?"

"Leo would never lay a hand on me," Piper replied, looking up to meet his gaze.

"Then what did he do?" Cole said, taking another step towards her.

"Nothing. He didn't do anything," she said, dropping her head down to focus on the grass.

"Piper," Cole said, reaching out and touching her chin, bringing her face back up. "What did he do?"

"Why do you care?" she mumbled.



Cole stared back at her but he didn't drop his hand. Why did he care? He couldn't understand his sudden desire to know what Wyatt had done to her to send her out crying in the rain anymore than she could.

"You are right. Never mind, I will leave you alone Piper," Cole said, dropping his hand and turning away from her.

Piper watched him turn and felt a sudden panic. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to share anything with Cole, but she didn't want to be alone either. She was tired of being silently miserable and putting on a show for the family. She was tired of hurting inside, and not knowing what to do to fix it. She was tired of her sisters not noticing her unhappiness.

"He did nothing," she said, her voice cracking.

Cole stopped and turned back to face her.

"That's the problem. He did nothing. He hasn't touched…" her voice faltered and she blushed. "I shouldn't talk about this with you."

"Piper…" Cole started to say.

"He's having an affair," she finally stated, relieved to feel the pressure of carrying around this silent knowledge off her chest.

Cole stared at her, disbelieving the words she had just spoken. Leo Wyatt was not capable of having an affair, he was an Angel. Angel's don't have affairs.

"That's impossible," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You are mistaken Piper."

She shook her head, turning away from him. "You are probably right Cole," she said before quickly walking around him and going inside.

"Piper, wait!" Cole yelled, running into the house behind her. "I'm not saying you are lying, I'm just saying I think you are misunderstanding something. Leo loves you. You love Leo. You guys are like soul mates or something."

She stopped in the middle of the living room and turned back to face him. "Don't you understand? Magic has driven a wedge between us that is to big to fix Cole. And you better be careful, magic will destroy you and Phoebe eventually. It destroys everything."

"Piper," Cole said, dropping his jacket on the back of the couch.

"No. Don't Piper me," she replied. "I know what I know Cole. He's gone all the time. Days at a time. I don't know where he goes; I don't know who he is with. What I do know is that each time he comes home there is a bigger and bigger gap between us."



"I want normal Cole. I want to drive places, not orb. I want to talk about something other than demons, the power of three and potions when I lay in bed at night. Leo doesn't. Leo lives and breathes and exists for magic. And it's harder and harder for us to get past that. I knew things were getting bad. We fight all the time. But I never thought he would…" her voice cracked and fresh tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Piper. Are you sure that he is?" Cole asked.

"I think she's a witch he was assigned to protect. He never use to stay away overnight before and now…" she trailed off.

"Have you talked to Phoebe? Or Paige?" Cole said.

"They wouldn't believe me anymore than you did," she replied. "Besides, I don't want to share this with the world. I have to figure out what I am going to do on my own. This isn't a magical problem that the power of three can fix."

"No, but it is a problem that those who love you can help fix," Cole answered.

"Please Cole, just forget this okay. Don't tell Phoebe anything, please? I will deal with this on my own," Piper asked, her voice and eyes pleading with him.

Cole sighed as he studied her. Her eyes were red and wet, and behind that there was a tired unhappiness haunting her gaze. Her white tank top was completely soaked and see through, clinging to her like a second skin. He realized for the first time how much weight she had lost in the last few weeks. Her hand were trembling at her sides but her chin was held up high, proving she was still trying to be the strongest and bravest of her sisters, even in her weakest moments.

"I won't say a word Piper," Cole replied, turning from her and going upstairs.


End file.
